Cover for compressible object

ABSTRACT

A REMOVABLE COVER FOR MATTRESSES, PILLOWS, CUSHIONS, AND OTHER LIKE COMPRESSIBLE ARTICLES WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN ABSENCE OF ANY FASTENING MEANS SUCH AS BUTTONS, ZIPPERS, TAPES OR THE LIKE, THE COVER INCORPORATING A POCKET EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE OPEN END OF THE COVER WHICH IS ADAPTED TO FOLD OVER THE END OF THE COVER AFTER THE ARTICLE IS INSERTED, AND EFFECTIVELY CLOSE THE OPEN END THEREOF.

June 8, 1971 l. J. SMITH COVER FOR COMPRESSIBLE OBJECT Filed March 6, 1969 INVEN'IOR IMRE J. SMITH Penz t Patent gent United States Patent 3,583,009 COVER FOR COMPRESSIBLE OBJECT Imre Jack Smith, 283 Hillhurst Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 6, 1969, Ser. No. 804,785 Int. Cl. A47g 9/02 U.S. Cl. -335 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A removable cover for mattresses, pillows, cushions, and other like compressible articles which is characterized by an absence of any fastening means such as buttons, zippers, tapes or the like, the cover incorporating a pocket extending transversely of the open end of the cover which is adapted to fold over the end of the cover after the article is inserted, and effectively close the open end thereof.

This invention relates to means for removably covering a substantially rectagnular compressible article such as a mattress or pillow.

It is frequently desirable to provide a cover for an article which will stay in position on the article but may be readily removable either to gain access to the article or to clean the cover. Articles which are displayed for sale, or articles which have been Washed or laundered are examples of the first, and pillows or mattresses, particularly those used in hospitals, are an example of the second.

Various closures have been devised for this purpose. In the case of articles for sale or which have been washed or laundered, the covers may be torn to get at the enclosed article. Where it is desired to preserve the cover for further use, as in the case of a pillow or mattress cover, openings may be provided with buttons, slide fasteners, etc. These are expensive and may be broken in us or when being laundered. A pocket or pockets may be provided which may be folded over the end of the article to be enclosed, as in prior Canadian Letters Patent No. 542,- 873 dated July 2, 1957 to Smith and Revesz.

The object of this invention is to provide means for removably covering a substantially rectangular threedimensional compressible article which has the advantages of the cover disclosed in said prior patent, but which covers the article more completely and is less likely to come off during use.

This object is attained by providing a substantially rectangular hollow open-ended envelope of substantially the same width and depth as the article intended to be covered thereby, but shorter than the length of said article, and having a pocket extending transversely of the open end of the envelope, the width of said pocket being substantially the same as the width of the envelope and the length of the pocket plus the length of the envelope being substantially the length of the article, whereby when the article is inserted in the envelope, the pocket may be folded over the end of said article to cover the end of the article and retain it in the envelope. A further feature of the invention is that such pockets are provided extending transversely from each side of the envelope whereby one pocket may be folded over the other.

The invention is hereafter more particularly described and illustrated by way of example in the annexed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a mattress cover in expanded position, showing a mattress in dotted lines about to be inserted;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the mattress inserted and one of the pockets folded over;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the other pocket folded over and the edges tucked in; and

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 3-3 in FIG. 3.

In the drawings corresponding numerals refer to corresponding parts.

The envelope 1 is made of standard mattress covering material. It will be understood that it is shown in expanded position in FIG. 1 for the purpose of illustration only since until the mattress is inserted, it will, in actual practice, be in a collapsed condition.

The mattress 2 is shown in dotted lines and the arrows indicate the direction the mattress will be pushed into the envelope 1. The envelope 1 is open at one end and is substantially the same width and depth as the article (mattress) intended to be covered thereby, but shorter than the length of said article.

A pocket 3 extends transversely of the open end of the envelope, the width of the pocket being substantially the same as the width of the envelope and the length of the pocket plus the length of the envelope being substantially the length of the article intended to be covered thereby.

When the envelope is used as a mattress or pillow cover, the mattress or pillow will usually be made of foam rubber or like material but it may be of standard spring and padding construction, or filled with feathers or the like. In any event, the article will be compressible so that by compressing the article, the pocket 3 may be folded in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 2 over the end of the article after it has been pushed into the envelope. A single pocket will cover the end of the article and protect it. However, much improved results are obtained by providing two pockets 3 and 4, extending on opposite sides of the envelope 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and having a transverse slot 5 for insertion of the article. The second pocket 4 will then be in the position shown in FIG. 2 when the first pocket is folded over the end of the article.

It may then in turn be folded over the article and the first folded pocket in the manner illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 3. The portions 6 of the pockets which form extension of the sides of the envelope will be wrinkled up but may be easily arranged in neat rectangular folds as illustrated in FIG. 3

The top, bottom and border of the envelope are preferably made of separate pieces of material. The pocket or pockets are made separately from the envelope. The border of the pocket or pockets is .made of one piece and the top of the pocket or pockets is made of separate pieces from the border. The various parts of the cover are stitched together.

Whereas the invention has been described specifically with reference to mattresses and pillows, it is also applicable to packaging various other articles. The invention has been described with reference to cloth coverings for mattresses but it will be understood it is applicable to coverings of various other flexible materials such as plastics and paper.

It will be understood that the invention has been described in connection specifically with the covering of an article of predetermined dimension such as a mattress, pillow or the like. Obviously, however, the invention is equally applicable to covering one or more such articles together, or for use as a packaging container, having utility in connection With the covering of many compresible articles such as clothing, blankets, baled cotton or wool, and many other uses will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A removable cover for a three-dimensional generally rectangular article such as a mattress cushion or the like rectangular box-like shape having predetermined length, breadth and depth, and comprising:

a substantially rectangular hollow flexible open-ended envelope having top and bottom panels of substantially the same length and width and having one closed end panel attached between adjacent ends of said top and bottom panels closing the same at one end of said envelope and having substantially the same width and depth as the article intended to be covered thereby, and having two side panels of substantially the same depth as said article but shorter than the length of said article extending from said closed end panel between said top and bottom panels but terminating short of the free ends of said top and bottom panels, and defining an open end of said envelope; and

upper and lower pockets extending transversely of said open end of the envelope, said pockets being formed in part by said free ends of said top and bottom panels, and further comprising pocket side and end borders of the same depth as the article to be covered thereby and attached continuously around the periphery of said free ends of said top and bottom panels and also attached to the free ends of said envelope side panels in a transverse T-shaped manner, and further comprising two separate pocket panels attached around the edges of said pocket side and end borders and defining between the same a rectangular opening dimensioned to receive said article therethrough, the width and depth of said pockets being substantially the same as the width and depth of the article, and the length of the pocket plus the length of the envelope side panels being substantially the legnth of the article intended to be covered thereby, whereby when the article is inserted in the envelope, each said pocket may be folded over the end of said article to cover the end of the article and retain it in the envelope with said top and bottom panels drawn into snug fitting engagement with the top and bottom of said article.

2. A removable cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said envelope and said pockets are formed of cotton material, the said pockets being made separately from the envelopes and being sewn thereto along one side of the open end thereof.

3. A removable cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said envelope and said pocket are formed of plastic sheet material heat-sealed to form the envelope with the pocket attached along one side of the open end thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,895,146 7/1959 Lester 5--339 FOREIGN PATENTS 202,407 10/1908 Germany 5-339 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner U .8. CL. X.R. 5-==339 

